


Keith Asks the Red Lion For Comfort

by Darkfyyre, Deneb_Kaitos



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Introspection, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 21:15:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9787289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkfyyre/pseuds/Darkfyyre, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deneb_Kaitos/pseuds/Deneb_Kaitos
Summary: It is so late, it's early, but Keith finds he cannot sleep for all the troubles haunting him. He seeks Red out, hoping only to drown out his worries with distractions, but finds Red will only tolerate his avoidance of the core problem for so long. It takes more than the Red Lion's words to help Keith work through his troubles, but the effort is well worth it in the end.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This piece is companion piece to _[Lance Asks the Blue Lion About Himself](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9561215)_ , which you should totally check out; it was written by my brother. He helped me write this piece too!
> 
> This is also supposed to follow _[Lance, Building Bridges](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9767483)_ , but reading that is optional.

"Play it again."

You Have Been At This For Two Hours.

It is the equivalent of 3AM in the Castle of Lions, but Keith has not slept since the lights dimmed hours ago. Normally, the exhaustion of the waking moments puts him into a deep slumber almost immediately, but this night he found himself unable to drift away. At a loss of what to do, he came to the Red Lion for comfort.

Red does not speak often. Red is all impulse and emotion, something that rings strongly with Keith and helps him pilot the lion at his best, but there are times where this nonverbal communication is not enough. It is then that Red speaks, and always it startles Keith.

"Yeah, I know. Just... I'm still not tired. Just one more time; then I'll go back to my room. Please."

If You Insist.

Keith is homesick for the first time since Lance took Blue out of the Earth's atmosphere, never to return until Zarkon's defeat. There is little to miss, and barely anything for him to go back to. Until recently, he comfortably considered the other Paladins and even the Alteans a family worth staying by. That was before they all learned of his Galra heritage. Now, tensions run high and Keith is acutely aware of the others' scrutiny. Against all reason, it is Lance who chooses to stay by him in solidarity.

Where Are We Starting This Time?

"Actually, I was wondering... is it possible for you to simulate something I haven't personally experienced? Maybe something the previous Paladin experienced that you have catalogued?"

That Depends Entirely On What It Is You Are Referring To.

For two hours, Keith has been listening to comforting sounds and visiting familiar places from his memories. The whistle of wind around the contours of his home in the desert. The soft shift of sand underfoot. Rough wood against his palms. Blazing heat beneath a summer sun. Pricking his fingers on tacks. The shuffling of sheets. Anything to remind him of Earth.

Earth is not, however, the only place of comfort to him. The castle provides him with new sensory stimulations. The cool, smooth surface of the walls. The bayard's ridged grip in the clench of his hand. The sound of alerts and notifications in Red's cockpit. His stomach lurching at every dive and sharp curve, a feeling no flight simulator could ever capture. Constant reminders of his new routine, his new direction in life.

Are You Falling Asleep?

"Oh, no; just thinking. Well, I was wondering... what is the ocean like?"

You Are Fortunate. My Former Pilot Loved The Ocean. He Was Quite Unlike You, In Some Ways, Yet Nearly Identical In Others. A Different Lifestyle, But The Same Approach To Life.

"Uh... just gonna assume that's a good thing."

You Are Afraid. Are You Sure Of This?

"Afraid? Wh- no, I-I'm not afraid; just apprehensive. Just start the simulation already."

If You So Demand It.

Too late Keith realizes he might not have been specific enough. The cabin melts away and he feels his body become weightless. All around him is an indistinct blue, broken by slanted, fading bars of light. A darker shape moving close by catches his attention, and he swivels to look at it. His body twists slowly, and his hair drifts across his vision. He pushes it away frantically, trying not to lose track of the shadowy form.

"Red? Am I underwater? Er, why?"

You Are In Over Your Head.

"Hah; very funny."

The shadow moves closer, and its edges begin to sharpen with clarity. It is large, with a wedge-shaped head and angular protrusions stick out in different directions along its body. It draws near. With a start, Keith recognizes the form of a great white shark. He did not need to have lived near the ocean to know that much. Panicked, he tries to back away, but he does not know how to swim and flounders instead.

Steady.

Keith stops his flailing, but his heart races in his chest. The shark changes course, approaching him slowly. It is close enough now for Keith to see its black eyes and the serrations of its triangular teeth. He can see scars and rake marks around its snout, the trivial battle scars left behind by prey that struggled in vain.

If You Want It To Go Away, Just Tap Its Nose.

"You want me to _touch_ it?"

They Are Sensitive. Much Like You.

"Well that was unnecessary..."

Still, Keith heeds the lion's advice and tentatively reaches out to knock hard on the shark's pointed nose. 'Tap' does not seem appropriate for the situation. Immediately, the shark turns away and powers into the deep, its tail swinging back and forth and pushing it out of sight. 

They Are Not Out To Hurt You.

"Wait; how do you know about sharks? I didn't think Altea had them."

Lance Told Blue. Blue Told Me. I Told You. Simple.

"Oh. I forgot; Lance practically grew up on the ocean. I guess he'd be our resident expert on all things Earth ocean."

You Should Not Fear Things You Do Not Know Based On Minimal Information.

"Wait... was that like, a metaphor? Trying to sneak in life lessons, I see."

No Sneaking Involved. That Is Green's Thing.

"Whatever you say, Red. Can I not be underwater anymore? I'd like to maybe see the ocean from the shore."

Alright Then. If You Wish.

The ocean recedes around him, gently placing him down on the sandy bottom before pulling away completely. The weightless feeling is gone. Now ankle-deep in water that laps around his feet, he can see a vast expanse of blue spread away from him to the horizon. The sun sets behind him, but where the ocean meets the sky Keith can make out the first impressions of stars.

"Dramatic touch, Red. Couldn't it just be day?"

The Divide Between Ocean And Sky. The Line Between Night And Day. You Wanted To Experience Something New, Something Moving. Do Not Criticize Me For It.

Reluctantly, Keith concedes to this and forces himself to pay attention. There is sand underfoot, but it is different from the dry desert. It moves slowly when Keith twists his ankles, and it settles over the backs of his feet heavily. When he lifts a leg to pull his foot back up, the sand resists and tries to hold on. Keith stoops down to push his hands into it, scooping it up before letting the waves wash it from his cupped palms. It is a pleasant feeling, and he smiles.

Will You Go Deeper?

"I can't swim, Red. I don't want to get swept away."

Very Well.

Instead, Keith moves away from the water to investigate the rest of the beach. Here and there, there are impressions in the sand where water remains just beyond the waves' reach. Within them, strange creatures can be seen, some of them very bright and colorful. Keith is fairly certain the flat, many-legged critters are crabs, and he thinks the unmoving, star-shaped object is called a starfish, but it baffles him why 'fish' is a part of the name.

"Will any of these things kill me?"

Of Course Not. This Is Not Real.

"You know what I mean."

They Are Perfectly Safe Both Here And On Earth, If You Must Know.

"Thank you."

He still hesitates when reaching into the lukewarm water, but nevertheless he tries for the blue starfish which has stayed still since he arrived. Gingerly, he lifts it out of the water and turns if over. The other side is covered in tiny, soft bristles. Keith can only guess at what they are and what purpose they serve, but they are wiggling minutely and it makes him uneasy. He sets it back down, deciding some sea life is not worth investigating, and instead he pulls up another critter with a curled shell. It withdraws into the hollow opening, leaving little visible.

"So _that's_ where shells come from."

Not Quite. That Small Crustacean Is Only Borrowing This Shell As A Temporary Home.

"What does _that_ mean?"

The Shell's Original Owner Was A Snail. They Produce The Calcium Substance That Forms The Shell. When They Die, Hermit Crabs Find The Discarded Shells And Live In Them, But As They Grow They Must Find Bigger Shells.

"Wow. That's... actually pretty cool."

Nothing In Nature Goes To Waste. Nothing Alive Is Worthless. Even Death Leads To New Opportunities For Others.

"Another metaphor?"

Take It As You Will.

"Alright, I guess."

You Should Sleep Now.

The illusion falls away, and instead of stooping by a tide pool, Keith sits in the cockpit chair, dry and still. His body readjusts to the sensation of the cushionless seat underneath him, and the cold, stale air. The controls are not lit, and only a few auxiliary lights throw shadows around him eerily. His eyelids are heavy and his mind is fuzzy, but Keith knows the moment he lies down and separates himself from any outside stimulation, the anxious thoughts will return and render him unable to sleep.

"No. I can't."

You Must.

"Look; I can't do it alright? You don't know anything about sleep, okay; it's not simple and it's definitely not always easy."

I Am Only Stating A Fact; Not Insisting You Do What You Know You Cannot Do.

"I can be hard to tell sometimes, Red. You're pushy."

You Are Stubborn. It Is Necessary.

"Fair enough."

What, Then?

"I guess we start over. Play it again."

The cabin vanishes, but instead of familiar surroundings, Keith finds himself somewhere he cannot identify. However, he seems to recognize the architecture; white arches, a blend of organic and geometric, structures that seem to embody the sci-fi genre's idea of the future and the fantasy genre's fixation on elegant medieval aesthetics. The answer jumps to him - this is Altea.

"Red, I said _again_ , not something _new_."

However, Red does not respond, leaving Keith with nothing better to do than explore his surroundings. Between the Altean-made structures and unnatural paths are beautiful gardens of alien plants in strange colors and shapes. Keith approaches them, awed by their beauty. There is no green in the desert, no foliage, no soft grass or tall trees anywhere. There are no great bodies of blue water; only the mirages reflecting the sky above.

Suddenly, he becomes aware of someone - or something - watching him. He whips around, reaches for his bayard before realizing he is dressed only in his casual clothes. There is only the blade, and he hesitates to draw it from its sheath. Hand hovering over it, he looks up to see what it is that drew his attention. Before him stands the Green Lion.

"Green?"

Hello, Keith. We Have Not Spoken Before.

"Well, no; of course not. You're Pidge's lion."

I Think It Is More Accurate To Say Pidge Is My Pilot, But Your Point Is Made.

"What are... what are we doing _here?_ Are you actually you, or Red's projection?"

I Am Not Fictitious. I Am Real.

Keith decides not to admit he does not know what 'fictitious' means, because this is the Green Lion and he would rather not come off as an idiot in front of her. She is watching him with her head cocked to one side, just like a real cat when it is quizzical. The lions are great machines of war; they are weapons, but Keith is always surprised by how alive they can seem.

"Real. I guess you guys don't sleep, so I shouldn't be surprised you're talking to me at a time like this. Whatever that time might be..."

If It Was Earth, It Would Be About Four In The Morning.

"Great. Well... again, what's going on; why're we here?"

To Talk About What Is Bothering You, So That You May Sleep.

"Should have known Red wouldn't let me off the hook so easily..."

Despite his grumbling, Keith finds he is enjoying this. The Green Lion's voice is very different from that of Red. It is curt yet soft, and less of a monotone as compared to Red. It reminds him of how a person's voice changes pitch when they begin smiling in the middle of a sentence. He finds a place to sit - a retaining wall around an upraised garden - before waiting for Green to speak again.

Tell Me About Your Problem. Give Me The Facts. Tell Me Why It Hurts You.

"Facts... no surprise there. I guess the most simply I can state it is this: I'm very unhappy with how the others are handling the truth of my identity. I feel betrayed, and I don't think it's very fair, how they're treating me - especially Allura."

Why Is It Unfair?

"Wh- well, of course it isn't fair. I should be treated with the same respect as the rest of the Paladins. I mean, I've worked just as hard as everyone else. I thought I'd earned Allura's trust and proven myself. I was there when we saved the Balmera, I was there when had to stop Sendak from taking the Castle of Lions, I was there when we took the fight to Zarkon in order to rescue _her_ , and I was the one who rescued the Black Lion before Zarkon reclaimed it."

You Have Always Had Galra Blood In Your Veins, Even When Doing All Of These Things. You Have Always Had This Heritage. You Have Also Always Possessed A Fighting Spirit And A Will To Protect Others At Any Cost. When My Pilot Wished To Leave Voltron, You Were The Only One To Reject The Notion That It Was Reasonable To Abandon The Fight Against Zarkon. You Cited The Fact That There Are Other Families Besides My Pilot's, And Advocated For Protecting Them, Even If It Meant Giving Up Personal Pursuits.

"Well... yeah..."

Keith is flattered by Green's words, even if he knows she is only stating facts and not attempting to praise him. Yet, her acknowledgment of these traits of his still helps him feel validated, and he smiles appreciatively.

The Facts Are All There. You Have Always Been Destined To Pilot The Red Lion, To Be A Paladin Of Voltron. This Is Something Allura Fails To Understand, Or Refuses To Accept, But Know This: You Do Not Need To Work Harder To Make Her See This. All Along, You Have Been Enough. What She Needs Now Is Not For You To Prove Yourself, But For Her To Recognize That She Is Wrong. Do Not Stop Following Your Convictions, Keith. They Define You More Than Your Blood Ever Will. This, Too, Is A Fact.

A weight lifts from his chest. If he is understanding the Green Lion correctly, she is telling him that the problem is not with himself, but with the others. He does not need to fix himself because he is not what has broken. The hurt stemmed from the feeling that everything he had ever done was not good enough, and so he had felt pressured to prove himself when in reality he had already done this and more.

"I am not the problem. _I_ am _not_ the problem."

No. You Are The Answer. Be Strong; Not All Are So Quick To Reach The Right Conclusions. Be Strong, Paladin. You Can Win This Fight.

The Green Lion dips her head before leaping into the sky, spiraling up and away into a bright sun. Keith shields his eyes against it, and watches as the sun becomes hazy and pale. When he glances back down, the scenery has changed once again. Rocky formations tower over him, grooved and layered with many hues of dark orange, pale tan, bright yellow, and chalky white. The heat intensifies, and is pleasantly familiar, making him recall the desert's dry and hot air.

"Yellow?"

By the geography, he can guess which lion might be there to greet him. Standing, he observes his surroundings in search of Yellow's bulky form, and smiles when he sees it perched on a small plateau across a ravine. Keith skips and leaps from rock to rock, carefully minding his footing, until he finds a flat rock closer to the lion to sit down on.

Greetings, Keith! Do Be Careful Around Here; I Would Not Wish For You To Get Hurt.

"Why worry about it? I can't actually injure myself here."

Oh, That Is Right. My Bad.

"You're fine, Yellow; don't sweat it."

It amuses Keith how alike Hunk is with his lion. Sounding just a little anxious, worrying over others, always wanting to make sure everyone is safe and sound before starting. Keith can sense this will be a heartwarming conversation, and relaxes thoroughly. Even the lion's pose makes it look like it is ready to jump into action at any moment, just in case.

"Well? You wanna talk about something?"

Oh, Yes; I Do. I Want To Talk About You, Of Course! Because You Are Very Important To Me, So It Is My Duty To Help You When You Need It.

"I am... important to _you_ personally?"

Well, Duh. You Are One Of Five Paladins, And Voltron Is Not Complete Without All Five Paladins. Otherwise, You Just Have A Lion Snake, And That Is Not Good.

"Aw gee, Yellow; I don't know what to say..."

Keith feels his face flush. Yellow is less serious than Red and Green, and sounds more like a friend than a mentor. 

That Is Really Important To Remember, By The Way. There Will Always Be Those Who Find A Reason Not To Like You, But You Do Not Have To Look Hard To Find Those Who Love You Very Much And Will Stay By Your Side No Matter What. Can You Think Of Someone - Or Several Someones! - That Match That Description?

"Well... yeah, actually. Shiro. He's like family to me, even if... sometimes I don't agree with him. I know he has my best interests in mind, though."

Do You Know Who Else Loves You? I Have To Tell You; It Might Take Too Long To Guess. Hunk! My Pilot! He Loves you! Did You Know That?

"Oh."

Tears rise, but Keith blinks them away quickly. He has spent the past week or more feeling hurt by some of Hunk's questions and remarks, but he realizes this does not mean Hunk's fondness has lost any of its potency. After all, he was the first to embrace him - literally embrace him - as a "brother", as family. 

I Know Hunk Can Be A Little Clueless About What He Is Saying, But If You Sit Him Down And Say, 'Hunk, This Is A Serious Matter', I Just Know He Will Hear You Out And Make Sure He Is Nicer To You!

"Thanks, Yellow. I needed that."

Keith closes his eyes, and when he opens them again, he is somewhere else. A chill wind suddenly cuts through his jacket, and he shivers against it. He sits on a rounded boulder which rests high up a stony beach. A black ocean crashes against the shore, and farther out to sea Keith sees white-capped waves rising and tumbling. Overhead, the shrill cries of birds carries on ceaselessly, mixing with the soft rush of water over stones below.

What seemed at first to be a jumble of rocks turns out to be the Blue lion, lying down. She turns her face to him.

Keith, Come Here. Sit By Me. Let Us See The Ocean.

"Sure."

Keith settles by one of Blue's massive paws, the long metal claws glinting slightly, reflecting softly the yellow light of her eyes. He realizes with a start that she is truly _looking_ at him, and he is reminded of the first time they met. Lance kept insisting he could see the eyes watching him. At the time, it had seemed unlikely, but now Keith understands. When Blue looks, she sees.

It Is Nice To Finally Speak With You. I Have You To Thank For My Rediscovery On Earth. If It Were Not For You, Keith, I Would Never Have Met Dear Lance.

"Oh, you're welcome, I guess. He seems to really like you, too."

Keith is not entirely used to this gentle voice. As he watches the sea, he feels as though, in some way, her voice has the same cadence as how a rolling waves looks, the smoothness of how water feels.

But You Are Worried About Your Place Here, Is That Not So?

"I- what, no? I'm bothered about how everyone's been treating me recently, now that I'm Galra."

'Now That I'm Galra' Is Not An Accurate Statement. It Displaces You.

"Well, I _am_ Galra. That's a fact, you know."

You Misunderstand. You Are Correct In Saying 'I Am Galra', But It Is Incorrect To State That Galra Is Something Which You Have Become. Do You Understand?

"What's the difference? I'm Galra and now everything's messed up. So it _is_ a change, Blue."

Keith can feel his frustration coming back. Blue is so much more cryptic than both Red and Green, and not as straightforward as Yellow.

 _Change_. Well, If You Would Like To See The Difference, Come With Me.

Blue rises slowly, careful not to knock him over. Hesitantly, Keith stands, unsure of where to go. Once she is sure he is clear of her, she turns and walks up the beach. The sky grows light as a speedy sun rises over the water, and together the two make it to a small wood full of brush.

Keith, Can You See These Creatures?

Peering closely at the leaves and thin branches, Keith spots a few tiny caterpillars.

"Yeah. They're caterpillars, and this is a metaphor. Not very original, either."

Hush. These Creatures Both Change And Become. A Caterpillar Becomes A Chrysalis, Which In Turn Becomes A Butterfly.

Before his eyes, things begin to change ever so slightly. Leaves are eaten up, and at last the industrious insects attach themselves to the undersides of branches or against the trunk, becoming cocoons, until finally things slow once more. Carefully, new forms push their way out of the thin walls they had built for themselves.

This Is Not An Accurate Metaphor, Keith. _You_ Have Not Transformed. You Are Still You. The Paladin I Am Currently Speaking To Is The Very Same Person Who Discovered Me On Earth. You Have Not Become Something Different, Or Someone Different. Let Me See...How Can We Demonstrate This Correctly, This Time?

The mighty head swivels slowly to look behind Keith, and he turns quickly to see what she might be looking at. It is still the ocean, but he realizes now that the sun is setting once more.

"Okay, am I supposed to be seeing something specific here?"

Keith's eyes search the horizon, the offing, the shore, but sees nothing out of the ordinary.

For This, I Will Need You To Go With Me To The Ocean Once More. Are You Ready?

In front of him, the lion stoops, jaw open and ramp extending. Keith doesn't bother to respond, just runs up and into the cockpit. Blue pauses a moment longer. The cockpit's visuals are dim at first, but when they light up, Keith sees a dark, endless ocean as calm as the moonless, clear sky.

"Must be my lucky day. I'd never seen the ocean before, now it seems like I can't get away from it."

Lance Would Love To Hear About This When You Return.

"He's seen all of this before, has he?"

Not All Of It. Now, Do You Notice Anything?

"Um, it's kind of hard to see. Can't you turn on your lights or something?"

Certainly, If You Think It Will Help.

Despite being illuminated, the sea fails to become much different than it was in the dark. 

"Okay, what is your point? Do you do this with Lance, too? Can't believe he'd have the patience for it."

No, What Lance And I Do Would Bore You Half To Death. Lance Likes To Listen And Watch. But, For Your Sake, I Shall Give You More Guidance.

The lights switch off once more, and Keith can feel the lion bank towards the ocean, dipping low over the surface.

This Is The Ocean. Many Things Live In It. At This Moment, There Are Millions Of Them In The Water Before You.

"I can't see any of them."

Look, _See._

Blue swipes a claw through the waves, which to his shock, suddenly glow brightly a strange blue-green. Every swirl and eddy is illuminated eerily, but at the edges the intensity begins to fade and darken once again. As Keith watches, the water calms down, and the light show gradually darkens until he can hardly believe it may ever have existed at all.

"Living things are making that happen?"

Yes. 

"So what does it _mean?_ "

I Give You This New Metaphor. Your Heritage Has Been, And Always Will Be, Galra And Human. The Darkness Of The Water Represents Ignorance. But, Once We Bring These Facts To Light, Everything _Looks_ Different. It May Almost Seem Like Things Have Somehow Changed, But It Is An Illusion. Although It May Be Startling That Creatures Which Seemed Dark May Suddenly Glow, And It May Look As Though They Have _Become_ Luminous, The Truth Is That They Have Always Been That Way, And That Disturbed Or Undisturbed, This Is A Fact That Remains True Of Them: They Are Themselves Whether They Are Illuminated Or Not. You Are Yourself Whether You Are Galra Or Not. Keith Is The Red Paladin. Keith Is Also Part Galra. Keith Brought The Paladins Together. Keith Is Also Part Galra. Do You Understand?

Blue's claw tips skim the water as she flies in loose circles, trailing streams of soft light which fade as the distance grows. A part of his mind somehow remains aware of the creatures even as they disappear from view, can still sense that they are there. Still the same.

"I...I think so."

Tell Me What You Have Learned.

"That it doesn't matter what I look like...or what my heritage is, in this case, because it doesn't change who I am. We can "see" a new part of me, but who I am is still the same. I'm not a different person. I'm still me."

Very Good. I Am So Proud Of You. 

Blue's voice grows distant, and Keith watches the images become indistinct. He senses that he is once again standing, and a blink brings him back to the beach. Blue is gone, but in the distance, Keith fancies he can still see trails of light lacing the ocean, quickly dimming now. A voice, sounding nearly like a thought:

_I Love You._

Suddenly, the beach trembles and begins to sink and crumble out from underneath him. Cracks open up, and the ocean pours through them, gurgling and spitting dangerously. Keith yelps, trying to stand and scramble away, but the stones fall away and leave him suspended in air. Frantically, he looks around for a grounding point, but the sky has blackened and the line between it and the ocean disappears. Soon, there is only darkness in all directions.

He becomes weightless, and realizes the darkness is not as complete as he thought. Millions of stars surround him, twinkling on their black backdrop. This is the void of space, terrifyingly isolated, breathtakingly beautiful, but always unforgiving and unfeeling. It strikes Keith how he has never considered that he, even on Earth, has always been a part of the universe. Leaving the atmosphere with Blue did not mark the beginning of this cohesion.

Keith Kogane.

Very, very slowly, Keith turns around. Every hair on his body stands on end, and his heart starts pounding in his chest. The voice is a deep thunder, and reminds Keith of the rare storms that sometimes took the desert by surprise. It is a powerful voice that demands respect and reminds the listener of its authority. Keith remembers this voice well; its vibrations never left his bones since he piloted the Black Lion not so long ago.

"Hello, Black."

You Have Feared This Meeting.

"Well... yes. No point in lying."

Lying Would Not Help Your Case. But You Have Not Been Completely Honest Either, Have You?

"I- what does that mean?"

Indignant, Keith searches his memories to try and answer the question himself, but he does not know what the Black Lion is referring to. The approach to this conversation is as cold as the void around them, and Keith wonders how Shiro can stand the Black Lion's aloof nature.

You Knew About The Blade. You Could Have Spoken To Someone About It Sooner. Why Not Shiro? Is He Not Like A Brother To You?

"Hey! Th-that's not fair! Of course he is, it's just... he might have brought it up with Allura, and I really really didn't want that."

So, You Withheld That Information. That Is Dishonesty.

"I thought you guys were supposed to be helping me. Red, do I have to do this?"

Red Will Not Always Be Around To Defend You. The Lions Will Not Always Be There To Vouch For You. You Must Learn To Defend Yourself As Well.

Keith wraps his arms around himself and chews his lip. So this is the test, then. The other three shared lessons and wisdom, but this is the final; the way to prove he had learned what they had tried to teach him. He recalls the three interactions and tries to let their words sink into his very body. All the while, the Black Lion waits silently for his response.

"Okay. Hit me with your worst."

You Kept Truths From Us, Keith. You Knew You Had A Connection To The Galra, But You Selfishly Kept This Knowledge To Yourself. Your Fear Of Judgement Clouded Your Judgement, And So You Find Yourself Isolated And Outcast. You Betrayed Us.

Deep breaths. Keith steadies himself. He cannot lash out. It will solve nothing.

"No. You are wrong. My fear was reasonable, even if it wasn't responsibly handled. And, it's not like I'm totally alone. My team has my back, even if Allura won't give me a break. It will take time for things to level out, but I don't need to overcorrect just because some of us want to stop seeing how steady the rest of the flight's been."

Why Should You Not Do Better? You Are Galra. Our Enemy.

"Except, I'm _not_ the enemy. One does not equate the other. I am _both_ Galra _and_ a Paladin, but more importantly, I am a Paladin first and foremost. As such, my responsibilities are equal with those of the other four. I don't need to prove _anything_ to _anyone_."

The Black Lion goes quiet. Keith feels his insides twist anxiously as he waits for what comes next. Will they speak again? Or is this it? The silence lengthens, an oppressive and overwhelming weight of nothingness that only increases Keith's anxiety. He digs his nails into arms, trying to feel something; anything. Finally, a voice. But it is not the Black Lion's.

You Have Silenced Your Aggressor.

"Red!"

There Is No Other Reasonable Argument One Can Make Against Your Case. Only Delusion Will Drive It Forward. That May Very Well Be Something You Must Deal With, But If That Does Happen, I Recommend Leaving The Conversation. You Will Have Already Spoken The Truth, And You Need Not Do More.

Exhaling deeply, Keith lets himself sag down in his chair. The cockpit surrounds him now, replacing the cold black void with its comforting smallness. He is exhausted, and his eyes sting from tiredness. Yet, he finds himself smiling.

We Are Proud Of You, Keith. Now, Get Some Rest.

"Alright, Red. Will do."

Remember, Keith. I Love You Too.

**Author's Note:**

> Didn't want to spoil it, but the segment with the Blue Lion was completely written by my brother and it is so lovely.


End file.
